Foot-arch support



P 1929- J. A. SMITH 1,7 8, 19

FCOT ARCH SUPPORT Filed May 22, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l gwuentoz James 4 5/77/27;

Sept. 17, 1929. J sMlTH 1,728,219

FOOT ARCH SUPPORT Filed May 22, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 f J? l 3 Z F 30/ l/ W/ zv/lll Mm ,6 7 I Sept. 17, 1929. A M T 1,728,219

FOOT ARCH SUPPORT Filed May 22, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 James A? 5/72/76 atfozuaq Patented Sept. 17, 1929 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES A. SMITH, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO OUTSIDE ARCH, INQ, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A CORPORATION OF VIR- GINIA FOOT-ARCH SUPPORT Application filed May 22, 1926. Serial No. 110,926.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an attachment for the outside of the shoe of such a nature as will not only support the shank of a shoe against breaking down under the action of a foot with a weak or broken down arch, but which will also cause on each step taken a strengthening of the ligaments and muscles due to an automatic manipulation or working of the bones of the foot as nature intended.

A further object is to hold up the shank of a shoe against being crushed down, to keep the foot heel in proper plane, and to prevent the wide part of the foot from slipping forward into thenarrow forward part of the shoe.

lVith these and other equally important objects in view, as will hereinafter appear as the description progresses, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a shoe equipped with the invention, viewed from that side which is adjacent a companion shoe and is usually known as the inside of the foot,

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatical view in side elevation similarly viewed and showing foot bone positions in one walking stage,

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatical longitudinal sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig.

4 and showing foot bone positions in another walking stage,

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatical bottom view of a shoe withthe invention attached, and showing foot bones overlaid and in correct positions,

Fig. 5 is a Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatical transverse Vertical sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the arcl supporting attachment detached and inverted,

diagrammatical transverse ver tical sectional view taken on line 55 of side 9 is to the outer edge of the shank 3,

Fig. 8 is an inverted transverse vertical sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7, and

Fig. 9 is a similar view taken on line 99 of Fig. 7 m

Referring to the drawings, the various bones of the footmostly concerned with this invention have been given the following numbers: distal phalanges 101 to 105; proximal phalanges 201 to 205; metatarsals 301 to 305; cuneiforms and cuboid 401 to 404C; scaphoid 501; astragalus 600; and oscalcis 700.

Reference numeral'l designates the shoe upper which for simplicity is shown dia-- grammatically throughout the several views, 2 the sole at the ball of the foot, 3 the shank, and 4 the shoe heel. Attached beneath the shank 3 and extending the entire length thereof from the breast of the heel and slightly beyond the line 5 of Fig. 1, which line indicates substantially the normal tread surface limit of the sole, is an arch supporting pad- 6, substantially of the shape illustrated in Fig. 7. In transverse section, this pad, which is preferably formed of yielding shoe sole rubber or composition, is dovetail shaped, as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, with the inner'side 8 extending higher than the outer side 9, and its upper face 10 cupped to substantially conform to the shank of a shoe and so as to closely hug the same when attached thereto by suitable fastenings passed through the apertures 11. For ease in passing over objects as well as for additional support of the front lower corner of the pad, the front end oredge of the pad is tapered as at 12.

By reference to Fig. 4:, it will. be observed that the inner side 8 of the pad for the greater part of its length curves with the corresponding edge of the shank 3 and is considerably closer to that edge than the served that the edge at its forward end curves substantially in line with the first metatarsal bone 301, underlying and supporting the same.

By reference to Fig. 1, when'no pressure is on the foot, the entire bottom face of the pad- 6 extends beneath the tread plane of the shoe, slightly at the rear end as indicated by numeral 14 and considerably at the forward pad end. In this position, the shoe is unflexed, being merely supported by the pad with its treadsurfaces entirely off the ground.

By reference to Fig. 2, weight has been brought upon the heel of the shoe as in the first effort of walking. This compresses the projecting portion 14 of the pad into the plane of the, heel tread and brings the heel tread upon the ground, the sole and forward parts of the shoe and foot remaining as in Fig. 1, or substantially so. This move.- ment causes a bending of the shoe directly above the rear end portion 14 of the pad adjacent the breast of the heel, as indicated by the dotted lines 15 in Fig. 2, and this downward movement of the heel bones in the direction of the arrow 16 causes in effect an. increased arching of the bones from the dotted to the full line position of Fig. 2. Any compression now at the forward part of the pad is merely the beginning of the action to be described in connection with Fig. 3, yet, it is manifest, that whenever weight is upon the pad from end to end,

' there must be and necessarily is an increased arching of the foot bones at the central portion thereof.

Referring to Fig. 3, illustrating an intermediate position in walking, the heel is lifted, causing all but the forward part of the pad 6 to be raised from the ground along with the heel 4 and the rear portion of the shank 3, and where in Fig. 2 the shoe shank was bent downwardly adjacent the breast of the heel or over the pad ortion 14, it is now bent upwardly or in tie opposite direction at that point. This throws .the weight upon the bones at the forward part of the foot, in fact, this pressure is centered on the anterior metatarsal joints, and were it not for the presence of this invention, the bones would be forced downwardly at this joint causing pain due to the pinching of nerves particularly between the points of the metatarsal bones 301, 302, and 303 and the sole'of the shoe or the callus of the sole of the foot, this callus being formed due to the action of the points or tips of the bones mentioned pressing the flesh of the foot against the sole of the shoe. Also, without this invention, there would be a tendency of the toe bones, particularly the bones 201, 202, 203, 101, 102, and 103 to point upwardly. The forward part or end of the pad 6 between the forward portion tion line 66 of,=Fig. 3 because of the sharp curvature of the shank longitudinally and transversely the effect of the pad between the shank and the ground may not necessarily be so much in thenature of a humping of the shank as of a flattening of the curves thereof asillust-rated in Fig. 6. It may therefore be seen that the shank may bend, and the bending will slightly vary with different makes of shoes, and always there will be in eifect a raising of the shoe shank 3 directly over the point-of the pad 6. This point where the shank 3 in e'fl'ect is raised is directly behind the points of the metatarsals at the anterior metatarsal joints. Vere it forward of this point or directly beneath the points of the metatarsals at the anterior metatarsal joints A, the bones would be resting directly over the hump caused by the pad, and the pain would be the same or even more intense than in the mentioned case where no pad was present. With the pressure of the hump centered directly behind the points of the anterior metatarsals, particularly the bones 301, 302, and 303, and with the weight of the person upon the forward part of the foot, despite the fact that the heel bone 700 is raised, this weight will cause the train of bones affected in the 101, 201, 301, 401 and 501 series to be flexed downwardly at the opposite ends of the trains as indicated by arrows C in Fig. 3, the tendency of the hump l7 midway of said bone trains being to move or hold the center thereof upwardly as indicated by the arrows D in Fig. 3. If not actual, the movement of the parts indicated by the arrows C and D is at least relative, and the. action of the bone trains mentioned is in effect an arching thereof. It is to be pointed out that numerous tendons, muscles, andthe like extend beneath the "forward foot bones, and when these tendons, etc., are forced downwardly by the weight of the shoe wearer upon the hum 17 there is naturally a shortening thereo and as a consequence the downward movement of the toe bones in the direction of the arrows C in Fig. 3 is intensified.

Referring to Fig. 4, it is pointed out that the pad 6 occupies a position beneath the inner longitudinal bones only of the foot,

preferably the first three-301, 302, and 303,

"andbecause thereof, the action of the hump 17 will be manifested almost, if not entirely, upon these three longitudinal bones and the associated bones in train' therewith, while the effect of the hump upon the outer metatarsal bones 304, and 305 and the a's- V sociated entrained bones will be negligible. Accordlngly, the arching action caused by the presence of the pad 6 is at the inner side of the foot, causing a drawing in of the toes and-toe bones 101, 102 and 103 toward the inner side of the foot, due to the shortening of the foot on the inner side thereof. Because of the location of the pad 6 closer to the inner side edge of the shank 3, in addition to the bone arching action just described, there Will be a shifting of the weight of the wearer, due to the inclined upper surface of the pad, to the outer longitudinal bones of the foot (see Figs. 5 and 6), while maintaining a pressure on the bones directly above the point of the pad 6 in the Fig. 3 position. This movement of the. toes inwardly and the shifting of the weight over.

to the outer side of the foot, is as it should be with a normally correct foot. In Fig. 5, the various elevations of the bones, when the foot is in the Fig. 3 position, are indicated by the letters L, M and N. The outer bones 305 and 304 which are negligibly elevated, by the action of the tip of the pad 6 and which have the greater portion of the weight of the wearers body which is not carried by the pad are in the plane L, while the bones 303 and 302 are in elevation M, and the bones 301 in the elevation N. Obviously, the location of the pad toward or from the inner edge of the shank 3 will control the degree of elevation of the inner bone 301, and in some cases the planes M and N will coincide or the plane N be above the plane M, the desideratum being to have the bones 301, 302 and 303 ,raised more than the bones 304 and 305. In other words, to raise the inner bone trains considerably and the outer bone trains negligibly.

The Fig. 3 position is not the final walking position of the foot, but is just prior thereto. It is in this position that principal corrective action takes place,for in the final walking position of the foot, the tip of the pad 6 is entirely lifted from the ground, and the weight of the person falls on all five anterior metatarsal joints A and the bones forward thereof with substantially the same force, the inner metata rsals 301, 302 and 303 which are shown as being raised in Fig. 3 then being all lowered substantially into the same plane. In other words, in the Fig. 3 position, the feeling of the wearer is about the same as if an elongated object were beneath theinner longitudinal bones of the foot, and in moving from the Fig. 3 position to the final walking position in which the body weight falls almost entirely upon all five of said joints. A with equal force, as well as upon the bones forward thereof, the feeling is the same as that of the bones moving downwardly point first over the forward side of such imaginary object. Not only is this the feeling, but a fact so far as the movements of the foot bones are concerned.

It is to be pointed out that this invention is intended for the corrective treatment of feet with broken down arches, and incidentally to the elimination and prevention of calluses on the bottoms of the feet. A new shoe is designed to conform to the shape of a correct foot and would go a long way toward maintaining a so called flat foot in correct position if it did not break down, but this breaking down under the action of a broken down foot soon causes the shoe to conform to the shape of the distorted foot thereby entirely losing its beneficial eifect. By applying the present invention to a new shoe, it is not only maintained in that shape so as to properly support a weak or broken down foot, but in addition thereto causes an automatic and painless manipulation of the bones of the foot on each step taken.

The present application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 650,177, filed July 7 1923.

What is claimed 1. An arch support for shoes comprising a pad having a plane lower surface extending from its front end to its rear end, the rear end being of greater height than the front end, and the latter having an abrupt wall, the side walls of the pad being tapered downwardly, and the ends of the pad being of greater width than the central portion of the same.

2. The combination with a shoe, of an arch support pad secured to theshOe, ar ranged beneath the shank and extending from the heel to substantially the rear limit of the normal tread surface of the sole, said pad having a plane under surface throughout substantially its entire length extending below'the normal shoe tread plane.

3. The'combination with a shoe having a heel and sole, said sole being arched in the usual manner, .of an arch support pad secured to the shoe and arranged beneath the shank, said pad extending from the breast of the heel to the rear limit of the normal tread surface of the sole, said pad extending for substantially its entire length below the normal shoe tread plane.

4. The combination asclaimed in claim 3, in which the sidewalls of the pad converge downwardly, and the inner side wall is of greater height than the outer side wall.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 3, in which the ends of the pad are of greater width than the central portion thereof.

6. The combination with a shoe having a heel and sole, said sole being arched in the usual manner, of an arch support pad sestantially the rear limit of the normal tread surface of the .sole, said pad having a plane under surface throughout substantially its.

entire length extending below the normal shoe tread plane, and the sides of the pad being spaced from the side edges of the shank portion of the sole.

7. An arch support for shoes, comprising a pad having a plane lower surface extending from its front end to its rear end, the rear end being of greater height than the front end, and the latter having an abrupt wall, the side walls of the pad being tapered downwardly, and one of the side Walls being of greater height than the other side wall, the ends of the pad being of greater width than the central portion of the same, and the upper surface of the pad being concaved.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JAMES A. SMITH. 

